Team
Adoption STAR

Michael Benzin

Vice President

Michael Benzin is currently Vice President of the Adoption STAR Board of Directors. Professionally, Mike is Executive Director of the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service, a nonprofit radio station that “brings print to life” for people who are blind, have low vision, or have other print challenges. He has more than 30 years of experience working with non-profit organizations, most recently in a private practice that provided fundraising & marketing counsel and support to mission-driven organizations.

 

Mike has worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Read to Succeed Buffalo, Aspire of WNY, Sisters Hospital Foundation, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the University at Buffalo, among others. An active community volunteer, Mike is a board member & Treasurer for the WNY Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and board member & President of the East Aurora Community Nursery & Preschool in addition to his support of Adoption STAR.

Mike is a past chair of the Taste of Buffalo, past Treasurer for the East Aurora Cooperative Market, and past President of the FBI Buffalo Citizens Academy Alumni Association. He is also a Leadership Buffalo graduate and Business First 40 Under Forty honoree.

 

Mike and his wife, Julie, are proud forever parents of Sophia and Charlie, both adopted through Adoption STAR. One of the many attractive qualities they found in Adoption STAR is the agency’s placing as high a priority on the pre- and post-adoption needs of the birth mother as they do with the adoptive parents. They also appreciate the agency’s attention to quality and are grateful for the passionate and caring staff for their support.